Student Council Fundraising Ideas High School Teams Love

The best high school fundraisers in 2025 are student-led, fun to run, and don’t rely on overpriced candy bars. Think meme days, obstacle course races, and digital pasta campaigns.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through 20+ creative, student-approved fundraisers that work for small teams with big goals. From pajama passes to pledge-a-thons, these events are easy to run, profitable, and powered by student leadership.

And if you’re looking for a program that checks all the boxes, easy setup, zero inventory, up to 50% profit, and nationwide delivery, Fun Pasta Fundraising might be your best next step.

Want the full list of ideas that’ll make your next fundraiser a hit? Let’s dive in.

20+ Creative Student Council Fundraising Ideas That Actually Work

Ready to ditch the bake sale? These fundraising ideas are student-led, crowd-approved, and designed to be fun, profitable, and easy to organize.

Obstacle Course Challenge

Set up a schoolyard challenge with cones, tires, and silly props. Students compete for time, and spectators pay to cheer them on. High energy, low cost, and perfect for PE tie-ins.

Pajama Day Pass

Let students pay $1–2 to wear PJs for a day. Works especially well in uniform schools and adds a cozy, lighthearted vibe to any week.

Mystery Game Night

Transform the gym into a live-action whodunit. Sell tickets to teams of sleuths who solve the case. Drama club students? This is their moment.

Silent Disco

Everyone wears headphones, and the music streams silently. It’s novel, it’s hilarious, and it solves noise complaints before they start.

Student-Run Talent Show

Sell tickets to see student musicians, magicians, or comedians shine. Add a “vote with dollars” feature to raise even more.

Costume Picnic

Think Halloween meets lunch on the lawn. Charge for entry, and offer prizes for best costumes or themed group ensembles.

Open Mic Café Night

Host an evening of poetry, music, and storytelling. Add warm drinks and string lights for a coffeehouse vibe that students (and parents) will love.

Spirit Wear Pop-Up Shop

Design and pre-sell school tees, hoodies, or socks. Add flair with limited editions or themes like “Throwback Week” or “Senior Power.”

Pledge-a-thon

Students gather pledges for reading minutes, pushups, or steps walked. Bonus: it encourages healthy habits while raising money.

School Trivia Night

Charge admission for teams to compete in themed trivia rounds. Offer small prizes and bonus rounds to keep the energy high.

Ugly Sweater Contest

Great around the holidays. Collect a small entry fee, post everyone’s photos online, and let classmates vote with likes or donations.

Meme Day Fundraiser

Invite students to dress as their favorite meme. Charge a couple bucks to participate and host a mini meme museum in the hallway.

Teacher Dare or Lip Sync Battle

Students donate to vote on dares, think “wear a tutu for the day” or “lip sync to a trending song at lunch.” It’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

Dunk Tank or Pie-Throw Event

Coordinate with sports or spirit week and let students line up to dunk or pie their favorite teachers or staff.

Student Art Auction

Let students submit their artwork to be auctioned off at an evening event or through an online gallery.

Classroom Penny Wars

Homerooms compete by dropping spare change into jars. Sabotage with silver coins to deduct points. It’s competitive and addictively fun.

Meme or Art Competition

Students pay to enter and showcase their creative genius. Display entries in a hallway gallery and allow voting with donations.

Valentine’s Day Candy-Gram Sales

Sell and deliver candy messages to classmates. Add small heart-shaped pasta grams for a unique twist.

Zero-Hour Breakfast Booth

Open a booth before the first bell with grab-and-go breakfast snacks, coffee, or juice. Great on chilly mornings or during exam weeks.

Fundraisers That Don’t Rely on Parents (But Still Make Bank)

Let’s face it, parents are tapped out. They’re juggling work, school pickups, and a million other things. The good news? Some of the best fundraisers out there don’t lean on parents at all.

Whether your school is in a lower-income area or you’re ready for a new approach, these fundraisers are built to bring in real dollars by getting students active, creative, and connected to their communities.

Discount Card Booklets

Design a student council-branded booklet with coupons or deals from local businesses. It’s a great way to support your town and raise funds at the same time. Most businesses love the exposure and are happy to participate.

Weekend Work Teams

Students offer lawn care, garage cleanouts, moving help, or snow shoveling in exchange for donations. Organize into crews, create a request form, and get your school out serving the community.

Tree Sapling Sales

Partner with a local nursery or college horticulture program to sell small tree saplings or potted plants. It’s eco-friendly, great for spring, and builds strong community partnerships.

Holiday Gift Wrapping Station

Set up shop at a mall, school lobby, or church hall. Offer gift wrapping for donations using student volunteers. Bring your own wrapping paper or partner with a local sponsor.

Restaurant Give-Back Nights

Restaurants like Panera, Domino’s, and Chick-fil-A often donate 10–20% of a night’s sales back to your school when families mention your fundraiser. 

Neighborhood Garage Sale

Coordinate a massive yard sale in your school parking lot. Invite families to donate goods or rent their own booth for a fee. Bonus: unclaimed items can be donated afterward.

Online Fundraising Tools and Tech Tips

Running a fundraiser today means meeting people where they already are, online. Whether you’re promoting an event, selling a product, or collecting donations, the right digital tools can make your fundraiser organized, trackable and successful.

Here are five of our favorite ways to take your student council fundraiser to the next level:

Use QR Codes on Posters

QR codes are the bridge between real-world promotion and digital action. Add them to every flyer, table tent, or classroom poster so people can instantly visit your campaign page, sign up for events, or donate from their phone, no typing required.

Pro Tip: Link your QR code directly to your fundraiser’s landing page or donation form. Shorten URLs first to keep it clean and trackable.

Launch Custom Fundraising Landing Pages

A dedicated landing page gives your fundraiser a professional, central hub. With Fun Pasta Fundraising, each student gets their own personal storefront, so you can track sales individually, share links with friends and family, and make participation a breeze.

Why it works: People are likely to give when it’s simple, personalized, and shareable.

Use Venmo or PayPal for Donations

Cash may still work in-person, but digital donations are king in 2025. Set up a school Venmo or PayPal account (through your student activities fund) to collect entry fees, small donations, or even “vote with your dollar” contests.

Bonus: Add your payment handle to posters, announcements, and social media for easy access.

Google Forms for Contest Entries or Signups

Need to manage registrations for a trivia night, meme contest, or talent show? Google Forms keeps everything organized and easy to track. You can even link it with Google Sheets to review entries in real-time.

Classroom-Friendly: Works on Chromebooks and integrates seamlessly with most school platforms.

Canva for Free Flyers and Promo Materials

Every great fundraiser needs visuals, and Canva is our go-to for free, school-friendly design templates. Create polished flyers, social graphics, posters, and event banners in a few clicks.

Time Saver: Use Canva’s drag-and-drop editor to collaborate with your council or leadership class.

Online tools help students learn real-world skills in design, marketing, and digital leadership. And they make fundraising faster, smoother and fun for everyone involved.

Want a Fundraiser That’s Easy, Profitable, and Fun?

If you’re still reading, you’re clearly not here for another tired fundraiser. You’re here to make an impact, and we’re here to help you do exactly that.

For over 20 years, we’ve helped student councils, PTOs, and youth groups raise serious funds without the stress. Fun Pasta Fundraising is built to be easy, student-led, and wildly effective, no door-to-door sales, no inventory piles, and definitely no melting chocolate.

Here’s what makes our program different:

• Up to 50% profit margins on every sale
• Custom sales pages for each student, with real-time tracking
• Shelf-stable, non-perishable products that ship anywhere in the U.S.

Whether you’re fundraising for prom, new uniforms, or just want to replace candy bars with something people actually want, Fun Pasta is the easiest way to go big without burning out.

Let’s make this your most successful fundraiser yet.